The invention is based on a method for operating a self-igniting, air-compressing internal combustion engine. One such method is employed in the subject of German Patent Disclosure DE-A1 195 34 050. In it, the fact that high-pressure reservoirs can come to leak and the escaping fuel can cause severe damage at the leak is taken into account. To limit the damage if a leak occurs, suitable safeguarding provisions are proposed in this reference.
Fuel injection systems of this known type advantageously serve to inject fuel at high pressure; the fuel to be injected can be metered very exactly, and the injection can be made very flexible, because of the electrically controlled fuel injection valves used.